Tie plate for model railroads



June 13, 1950 A. c. SlNELLl 2,511,300

TIE PLATE FOR MODEL RAILROADS Filed June 18, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 June 13, 1950 A. c. SlNELLl TIE PLATE FOR MODEL RAILROADS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1946 Patented June 13, 1950 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,511,300 TIE PLATE FOR MQDEL-RAILROADS Anthony 0. Sinelli, Ann Arbor. Mich, Application June 18, 1946, Serial No. 677,575

1 Claim. (01. 238 293) This invention relates to railroad tie plates, and more particularly to tie plates for model railroad tracks.

For many model railroads, wooden or fibre ties are used and it is necessary to anchor the rails to the ties by some suitable means as clamps or tie'plates. An object of this invention is to provide an improved tie plate for'fastening rails of model railroad tracks to wooden ties, in which the tie plate may be securely fastened to the tie and the rail may be clamped into the tie plate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tie plate for fastening rails to ties of model railroad tracks in which the tie plate may be fastened to the tie by tongs which penetrate into the tie and the tie plate is provided with resilient jaws for holding a rail.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a tie plate for model railroad tracks having a resilient clamping jaw into which a rail may be clamped and a fixed jaw to position the rail on the tie plate, the fixed jaw having a tab engaging over the lower base flange of the rail to resemble the head of a spike.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tie plate which may be fixed to a rail and having resilient rail clamping jaws which may be spread apart by the base flange of a rail while being engaged in the tie plate.

With the above and other objects in view, my

invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a tie clamp constructed according to an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of my invention,

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing a rail in postion and, in dotted lines, a rail in the process of insertion,

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second modifled form of tie plate,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another form of tie plate,

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'I--I of Figure 5, and

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I5 designates generally a tie plate for securing the rails to the ties of model railroad tracks. The tie plate [5 is formed from a single strip of metal and may bestamped or otherwise worked to the described shape.- The tie plate I5 is formed with a pair of oppositely-disposed flat end sections It which are adapted to rest flat on the tie. At the outer ends of each section I8 there is a, downwardly extending pointed tang I! which is adapted to penetrate into the tie for securing the tie plate I5 thereto A pair of inwardlyextending oppositely disposed rail clamping-jaws I8 are formed on the inner ends of the sections I6 by binding the strip upwardly and sharply reverting the metal strip. The confronting edges of the jaws I8 are rounded and an inner rail engaging jaw surface I9 extends downwardly to a base 20 upon which the rail is adapted to engage. The rounded edges of the jaws l8 permit the rail to be pressed down on the tie plate I5 so that the base flange of the rail forces the jaws I8 apart until the rail is set down between the jaws when the jaws I8 are returned to their original position and the rail sets between the jaws I8 on the base 20 with the inner surface IQ of the jaws l8 engaging the upper surface of the rail base flange. This clamp is shown as applied to a tie T in Figure 3.

As a modified form of tie plate in Figures 2 and 4, I have shown a tie plate 2|, wherein the opposed jaw members I8 are formed along their upper confronting edges with a tapered pointed edge 22 in place of the rounded edges of the tie plate shown in Figures 1 and 3. The rail engages the tie plate '2l in the same manner as tie plate [5.

In Figures 5 to 8, there is shown a slightly different form of tie plate having one fixed jaw and one resilient jaw.

In Figures 5 and 7, there is shown a tie plate 24 formed also of a single strip of metal bent to form a single rail base flange engaging resilient jaw member 25. Opposite from the jaw 25 an inverted L-shaped fixed jaw 26 is struck upwardly from the plate 24 for holding the base flange of a rail opposite from the resilient jaw 25. The upper rail engaging portion 21 of the jaw 26 may be rounded to simulate the appearance of a rail spike head. To further give the appearance of a full size tie plate, a rectangular opening 28 is cut into the plate 24 adjacent the jaw 26 to simulate the opening through which another rail spike might be engaged. This form of rail tie plate is also formed with a downwardly extending pointed tang I"! at each end of the tie plate '24 for attachment to the tie.

In Figures 6 and 8, there is shown another form of tie plate having but one resilient jaw member and a fixed jaw member. In this form of tie plate 38, one resilient jaw member 3| is formed in a manner similar to the resilient jaw member in the other forms, and the fixed jaw member 32 is formed by bending the opposite section of the plate 30 upwardly at right angles to the flat base 34 to form a. perpendicular wall 32 which extends as high as the resilient jaw 3| and is then bent opposite from the jaw 3| to provide an opposite rail engagingsurface it with tangs [1 depending from the ends thereof. A rail flange engaging tang 35 extends from the jaw 32 to engage over the rail base flange, and may be struck from the plate 30.

For inserting a rail into the tieplatesshown: in Figures 5 to 8, the rail is tilted so as to engage one side of the base flange under the flxed jaw member 26 or 35, then the other side ot the base flange is pressed down to move back thei'esilient jaw so the rail may be clamped between the resilient and fixed jaws 3| and 32.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I 20 claim is:

In combination with a rail having a base flange, a rail tie plate comprising a flat portion adapted to underlie said base flange, the side edges of said fiat portion being bent upwardly and inwardly for engagement over said base flange to provide confronting resilient rail engaging jaw members. reverted portions extending outwardly from the top edges of said jaw members and spaced from said jaw members along the length thereof, means on said reverted extending portions for securing said rail tie plate to a tie, whereby said base flange may be forced downwardly between said top edges of said jaw members for springing said members apart to permit said base flange to engage under said jaw members and to overlie said flat portion.

' ANTHONY C. SINELLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

